The summer is here but t hat’s just the start to Yuki’s problems…
What They Say:
Summer vacation has started and the fishing lessons have been going well. Yuki has decided it is time to get his own fishing pole, but what he wants and what he can afford are vastly different. A question to Ayumi lands Haru, Yuki, and Natsuki jobs on a fishing boat.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With Yuki having used a bit of adversity to push himself, he’s gotten better at fishing thanks to the instruction he’s gotten from Natsuki so far. Enough so that he’s at the point where he wants to get his own pole now so that he can really get into it and get even better at it. It might seem odd, but there’s a certain kind of fun that really comes from watching Yuki grow in this way and explore something completely alien to him considering his past. As he looks for the rod that will work the best, there’s some real cuteness as Natsuki’s sister just rattles off the specs and things while Natsuki just makes it plain how to handle it and use it. Of course, at nearly 40,000 yen, it’s not exactly something that any high school kid can just acquire.
Though he can get part of the way, the larger costs start to factor into things as well and it just makes it all more complicated and seemingly out of reach for him. With it being timed to summer vacation, this opens up some opportunities for the boys as their problems come to light when the fishing captain Ayumi is there. It’s a bit coercive but in the end it’s mostly just cute, but all three are hired to work for him on the boat for awhile where they can earn some decent money to pad out their coffers. Seeing this group together on the boat doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, especially since you have someone like Yuki who has never done it before, but Haru and Natsuki are naturals in their own way and that has some very cute moments.
Yuki’s struggles with this are fun to watch, especially in the face of such better fisherman all around him, but it does take its toll as it goes on as he ends up not showing on the second day. And the fish won’t wait to be sure. But as much as he wants to avoid it, he struggled so much before to learn to fish right that he doesn’t want to disappoint himself or Natsuki when you get down to it. Taking Natsuki as inspiration, it’s good to see him really get into it and do his best, something that definitely defines him at this stage. Seeing him overcome another problem the way he does and with the support he has is one of the big parts of this series so it’s welcome to see it being utilized again in such a good way.
In Summary:
Admittedly, describing what this series is like to someone unfamiliar with anime may be weird but it continues to be a show that I get into easily because of the mood it creates. The focus on the boys, the way they help and work with each other and the small struggles that they each have leads to some very fun things going on here. There’s plenty to like in this episode, in addition to the already strong designs and color palette used, as we see Yuki further push himself to do new things and overcome his weaknesses. It may not be big and bold in story, but it’s small and personal and easily identifiable for people which makes it pretty accessible, even if you’ve never fished a day in your life. And watching this may make you want to learn fishing.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
